

Sami Peretz


Analysis Solving Israel’s Financial Mismanagement Would Cover the Cost of the COVID-19 Crisis, and Then Some
Four budgetary black holes and how resolving them could help us pave our way out of a crisis of monstrous proportions


If the Pandemic Continues, Israel's Government May Lose Financial Bailout Ability
Between 70,000-80,000 companies shut down last year, and tens of thousands will likely close this year as well

Analysis How Adelson Shaped Israel’s Media – and Netanyahu’s Legal Entanglements
Netanyahu fell in love with Israel Hayom, Adelson's daily newspaper, and the Netanyahus began treating it like personal property

Analysis Israel Has a Bigger Problem Than Its Record 160-billion-shekel Deficit
If Israel’s credit rating is lowered, it won’t be because of the deficit, but because the government has no economic plan and never passed a budget

Analysis Relax, and Listen to the Stock Market: It’s Only an Election
We learn a lot from the surprising serenity prevailing on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange about what’s ahead for this year

Israel's Main Labor Problem: 600,000 Jobseekers, 50,000 Jobs
Panel of top economic experts issues recommendations for government to tackle high unemployment, with 11 unemployed for every available position

Analysis Israel Buys Social Peace by Aiming Coronavirus Aid at the Middle Class
Living standards during the pandemic have dropped, but policies have eased the pain for the great middle

Treasury Proposes Freezing National Average Wage
At the height of an economic crisis and the highest unemployment rate in Israel’s history, the average wage is rising. This could saddle the budget with billions of extra costs

Analysis Double-digit Growth in Israel? Coronvirus Is Playing Havoc With Statistics, Too
How else can you explain the country's GDP growth and double-digit joblessness?

Analysis Israel Keeps Its Rating, but Shouldn’t Rest on Its Laurels
Even if the government isn’t doing much right, Israel is managing reasonably well in the midst of a global crisis

Opinion Coronavirus Has Killed Economic Ideology. So What Do We Do Next?
Israel has been left ideologically empty-handed to manage the recovery

Analysis In First, Israel Has a Negative Interest Rate. But Will It Overcome COVID Lockdown Fears?
Banks can now borrow capital for lending to the smallest businesses at a rate of minus 0.1%. That doesn't necessarily mean they will

Analysis While Israel Burns, the State Budget Is Frozen
Seven good reasons why the government should stop dragging its feet and get its finances in order

Analysis Israel Faces Tough Questions From Credit Rating Agencies
Government policy is in disarray, as Finance Ministry Director Keren Terner-Eyal's resignation attests

Analysis Top Treasury Official's Exit Leaves Israel's Economic Policy in the Worst Possible Hands
The latest of three top treasury officials to quit, she leaves politicians now running the show


Analysis Israel Encouraged Mask Production, Then Left Local Companies in the Dark
Netanyahu says buy 'blue and white,' but issues call to import from China, and two Israeli companies that agreed to make masks at the start of the pandemic now find themselves cast adrift

Analysis Israel's Economy Is Mortgaged as Collateral for the Prime Minister’s Legal Woes
Netanyahu has an incentive to lock the country to prevent protests against him from growing, and somehow Kahol Lavan’s leaders follow, tanking the economy

Analysis With No Clear Goal for Second COVID Lockdown, Israeli Economy Could Spiral Out of Control
Decision-makers are forced to confront worrisome statistics: On the one hand, there is the rise in the infection rate, On the other hand, the levels of economic freedom are narrowing

Second Nationwide Lockdown Pushing Israel Into Central Bank’s Worst-case Scenario
Israel's coronavirus cabinet to discuss harsher lockdown restrictions on Monday

Analysis New Lockdown Could Cost 300,000 Jobs. Has Israel Learned Anything Since March?
Unemployment has dipped below 10% for first time since crisis began – but there’s not much time to celebrate, as second lockdown will send the figure soaring upward again


Analysis Treasury Official's Resignation Letter Could End Up Costing Israel Billions
Credit rating agencies are going to be looking closely at treasury budget chief Shaul Meridor’s accusations, and a rating downgrade may well follow - which could spoil the prime minister's celebration

Analysis With Each of Its Arab Neighbors, Israel Has a Different ‘Economic Peace’
The Palestinian Authority gets enough of a dividend to seek calm, Hamas trades quiet for Qatari dollars, and the United Arab Emirates promises the easiest peace of them all

Analysis The Coronavirus Crisis Has Set Israel’s Economy Back Four Years
Everything has collapsed – except government spending – and political instability amid a renewed outbreak means the situation could get worse


Analysis Israel's Strong Economy Has Let the PM Play Games in the Midst of a Crisis
Unlike the two big crises of the past, there’s much less sense of urgency about COVID-19

Analysis Mishandling of Coronavirus Crisis Is Crushing Young Israelis’ Work Ethic
Even in an economy of double-digit joblessness, many employers are struggling to recruit workers